This is the first result announced by the Republican leader within the framework of the large military deployment ordered by his government on the coasts of the Caribbean country and which includes more than six warships and thousands of soldiers and marines.
"We literally destroyed a ship, a ship that was carrying drugs, a lot of drugs. And you'll see it and read about it. It happened just moments ago," the president said in a statement from the Oval Office."We took it out," he added.
And he added:"Our great general, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff… gave us a briefing, and you'll see, and there's more where that came from."
The news was also confirmed a few minutes later by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who on his X account described the action as a"lethal attack in the southern Caribbean." Rubio also stated that the ship was "operated by a designated narcoterrorist organization."
In his statements to the press, in which he did not provide further details about how the attack on the vessel occurred, Trump added that they have detected a lot of drugs and that"they are coming from Venezuela."
"We have had a large amount of drugs entering our country for a long time, and they are leaving Venezuela in large quantities," the president stated.
🚨President Trump announces that they shot at a ship coming from Venezuela loaded with drugs on board, it is the first result since the military deployment — “this came from Venezuela, a lot of drugs are leaving heavily from Venezuela.”
— Juan Camilo Merlano (@JuanCMerlano) September 2, 2025
Hours later, Trump claimed that the operation targeted a Tren de Aragua ship transporting drugs to the United States and that 11 narco-terrorists died in the attack.
This is the first result announced by the United States government after undertaking a couple of weeks ago the largest military deployment in the region since the invasion of Panama in 1989. Under the pretext of combating the threat posed by Latin American drug cartels, President Trump ordered the mobilization of a large group of vessels to the coast of Venezuela.
According to various sources, the United States has deployed at least three destroyers or warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, and a guided-missile cruiser, among others, to the region. Specifically, these vessels are:
- USS Iwo Jima
- USS Gravely
- USS Jason Dunham
- USS Sampson
- USS Lake Erie
- USS Newport News
Although the United States has stated that the intention is to combat drug trafficking, the deployment has increased tensions with the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela, which has described it as"the greatest threat" the continent has seen "in the last 100 years."
Maduro also accused the United States of trying to force a change of government in Caracas and Marco Rubio himself of inciting a military attack on Venezuelan territory.
"Eight ships with 1,200 missiles and a submarine are targeting Venezuela. It's an extravagant threat. Unjustifiable, immoral, and bloody. Absolutely criminal. Venezuela is facing the greatest threat the continent has seen in the last 100 years," Maduro said at a press conference on Monday.
In that same space, the Chavista leader stated that if Venezuela were attacked,"it would immediately enter a period of armed struggle."
